— How to avoid online scams, spam and fraud Pgs. 3, 5. — Opinions on the teaching profession P. 4 — Golf team wins M-WAC title, and Softball sweeps the weekend. Coverage on P. 7 — Bonus Stage talks about Meeting a member of the Bungie team P. 5
- 88.7 WPCD previews Record Store Day 2011 on P. 2
Prospectus News
A student produced publication since 1969
Wednesday April 13, 2011
What’s new this week?
- Check out our revamped puzzle page featuring even more comics - P. 6 - Take your shot at our new question of the week and check out the special deal from our sponsor on the front page.
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Vol. 03 No. 15
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Student creates signature image for Boneyard Arts Festival Kassy COAN Staff Writer
What is the one thing that sculptors, weavers, painters, photographers, musicians, actors, dancers, poets, and performers alike all look forward to during the year? The Boneyard Arts Festival, of course! Last weekend marked the 8th annual celebration that took over not only the Champaign-Urbana area, but also surrounding areas, including Dewey, Rantoul, and Sidney. Earlier this year, many students were already preparing by creating unique and interesting works of art. Over 75 entries were submitted to be Boneyard’s 2011 signature image contest, yet only one was selected. The winning piece, which was featured on various billboards, maps, postcards, and the official Boneyard website, was created by Parkland student, Sophie McMahan. McMahan, in her 4th semester at Parkland, is a diligent artist, currently taking only art classes. She shines with talent and has great insight to what it takes to succeed as an artist. “Work incred-
The Boneyard website cess. McMahan ibly hard... try and wasn’t afraid of is a great place for arthave a thick skin. losing. Her exam- ists to get in contact with It’s inevitable that ple is one that venues. There is a section you will run into a many students for venues that have listed lot of rejection, but can learn and gain themselves as looking you just have to courage from in for artists and regularly not take that perorder to start tak- showcase work throughsonally and move ing advantage out the year. forward,” advised There are opportuniof opportunities McMahan. ties around for all types themselves. McMahan has of artists, experience lev“Champaigna story that could Urbana is a very els, and age groups. Seize be an inspiration art oriented town, the small opportunities to any and all stuand there are lots that present themselves dents. While many of incredible art- as you walk down the hallpeople think that ists around,” said way, and don’t be afraid to you have to do McMahan. The go for the gold. something all of town is flooded your life in order with talent, just as to do well, McMawas demonstrated han demonstrates last weekend otherwise. She at the festival drew as a child, and has been but lost interannually est throughout for almost Why the deadline for her high school an entire filing federal taxes is years. However, April 18 this year: decade. she later found While the The standard inspiration again festival is If the traditional tax day of April 15 through alternafalls on the weekend, the deadline now over, and is moved to Monday tive comic books, similar to graphic Parkland student Sophie McMahan holds up a few pieces of her work, which were featured in this other opporThis year novels. Now, she years’ Boneyard Arts Festival this past weekend. One piece of McMahan’s work was selected as tunities, such • Emancipation Day, a legal holiday as Park- only in the District of Columbia, will is pursuing her the signature image of the festival. land’s 2011 be observed on April 15, a day dream again with Photo by Ashley Melloncamp/Prospectus News IMAGES Stu- earlier than normal, since April 16 full confidence. falls on a Saturday dent Art Mag- • A federal statute says tax filings McMahan is observant and seizes an opportunity that pre- tival, found a flier for the win...I figured I’d just azine have already are impacted nationwide, so this the opportunities as she sented itself in the hall- competition on one of the enter and see what hap- passed, there is no year’s deadline is Monday reason become dis- Next occurrence pens,” said McMahan. comes across them. The ways of Parkland Col- school bulletin boards. She came across an couraged. Start pre- The next year Emancipation Day “I figured it would be contest to be the signa- lege. McMahan, who had could affect deadlines is 2012 ture artist for Boneyard no previous experience stiff competition, so I opportunity, and seized it; paring for next year. © 2011 MCT Source: Internal Revenue Service 2011, for an example, was with Boneyard Arts Fes- really didn’t expect to that is what led to her suc-
Tax day delay
No space? No problem! Gardening tips for students
Where even cell phones aren’t safe Brian Bennett Tribune Washington Bureau
Living in an apartment doesn’t necessarily mean a garden is out of the question. There are many options for a person who would like to grow their own plants, both in their home and in the community. Photo by Levi Norman/Prospectus News Kelley Heaney Staff Writer
The idea of spring conjures up many different images for most people. Birds, flowers, and green grass are some that often come to mind. But for some people it inspires peaceful images of mud, plants, rocks and weed pulling. Gardeners themselves say that working in the garden satisfies a nurturing aspect in them, but others claim it is the satisfaction producing something beautiful. So, is a college student doomed to be unhappy because they usually live in an apartment with little or no outdoor space in which to plant growing things? Recent investigations have revealed that a garden does not have to be on a large plot of land, or even outside. How does one plant a garden if there is a lack of outdoor space? Easy, plant one inside! An inside garden can consist of a small container that looks great sitting on a bookcase or a table in the apartment. The clear, glass container could be mirrored and have dirt, rocks and small plants or perhaps a
variety of cacti. Stores such as Prairie Gardens have a great variety of indoor gardens and terrariums, small plants, and decorations for your garden. Their website even lists directions for making a terrarium or indoor container garden. A possibility for someone who does have a small amount of outdoor space is to create a hanging garden or a larger container garden. Purchase medium or large flowerpots and plant flowers or vegetables in a sunny spot. Match the containers or use plain ones that can then be painted or decorated. Create themes with the containers, or get creative and use things around the house such as an old pair of galoshes, a bucket or large bowl. Decide what is to be planted in the container. There can be themes to this, too. Lowes suggests planting a Pizza Garden with tomato, bell pepper, and oregano, all in one or two containers. Give each plant space and make sure the container drains well. Plant the plants in an attractive manner, perhaps with the taller ones in the center.
See GROW on P. 3
Mohammed Maskati’s cell phone was his lifeline to fellow human rights activists in strifetorn Bahrain. So when his line went dead in mid-March, he checked with the local phone company. His account, they told him, had been canceled. Even worse, Maskati said, he discovered that Bahraini authorities used records of his calls, plus texts and emails sent from his phone, as a secret road map to crack down on his network of pro-democracy advocates. Nor did the harassment stop when Maskati got a new phone and number. He soon received anonymous death threats. Then, in a predawn raid Saturday, armed men in masks and black uniforms forced their way into his home. They bound and beat him and, in an act of humiliation, shaved half of his head. “The government is monitoring emails and calls and everything,” Maskati, who is president of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights, said in a phone interview from the capital, Manama. “They are especially monitoring those who are doing political reform.” Twitter feeds and Facebook pages have accelerated the pace at which protesters have amassed supporters to demand regime change in countries across the Middle East and North Africa. But in a growing number of cases, local intelligence and security agencies have begun tracing those electronic trails to arrest or intimidate protest leaders and supporters. More than 40 governments now restrict access to the Internet, and many use cybertools to spy on political opponents, according to the State Department’s annual report
on human rights, which was released Friday. “Some censored websites for political reasons,” Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told reporters. “And in a number of countries, democracy and human rights activists and independent bloggers found their emails hacked or their computers infected with spyware that reported back on their every keystroke. Digital activists have been tortured so they would reveal their passwords and implicate their colleagues.” It’s one reason the State Department is seeking to augment a little-known program to help people in authoritarian regimes protect their online identities, email, cellphones and other private communications from bugging and censors. Since 2008, the so-called Internet freedom initiative has brought more than 5,000 political activists to more than 100 training sessions in such countries as Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq. Trainees are taught to use encrypted Internet tunnels, some developed with U.S. government funding, that hide a user’s location and identity. Attendees also are told how to install and use publicly available encryption software to protect text messages on their cellphones. The trainers show how government monitors can use the global positioning chip in a cellphone to track the user’s movements. They have promoted software designed to hide the identities of cellphone users and have shown Web surfers how to get around Internet firewalls erected to restrict access to certain websites. When asked if there are counter-terrorism concerns that these techniques might fall into the wrong hands, officials said the lessons only focus on publicly available technology-
and organized terrorist groups are already familiar with these methods. How well the program works is unclear. The State Department does not release internal monitoring reports in order to protect the organizations and activists involved, an official said. But many governments still have been able to keep up. Maskati joined the classes held in Beirut in January. He has since taken precautions on his home computer to encrypt emails and Internet activity. He also learned to electronically sweep his laptop for spyware designed to secretly transmit copies of his files and contacts to government snoops. But Maskati said many political activists in Bahrain find the encryption techniques burdensome, and the applications to protect cellphone contacts and encrypt text messages are difficult to install and use. And all Maskati’s training could not
prevent Saturday’s raid on his house. “Most activists don’t understand security,” said Scott Carpenter, a former deputy assistant secretary of State for Middle East policy. “We should be putting more information and more tools out there.” That may soon happen. The State Department has spent only $20 million of the $50 million that Congress has authorized for the program since 2008. The department is reviewing proposals for how best to spend the remainder. Some lawmakers, including Sen. Richard G. Lugar, R-Ind., and Rep. Frank R. Wolf, R-Va., are considering whether to reallocate the next round of funding. They want more spent on technology to help Web users in China, Iran and other closed societies circumvent digital firewalls and gain access to U.S.-funded pro-
See PHONES on P. 3
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Fact or
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The word “democracy” only appears once in the Constitution. Fact or Fiction? (Find the answer on P. 6)
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